Magnetic spring



R. LIEBAU. MAGNETIC SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.25,1919.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES yMQ/M INVENTOR R. LIEBAU.

MAGNETIC SPRING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1919.

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RICHARD LIEBAU, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR SPRING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MAGNETIC SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nev. 1, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD LIEBAU, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have made a new and useful Invention in Magnetic Springs, of which the following is a specification.

and more particularly to supplemental springs adapted to be used in series with the steel prings of motor vehicles.

It has been customary for some time to equip motor vehicles with four supplemental springs operating in series with the steel springs ofthe vehicle, in resiliently supporting the load platform. Air springs of the Westinghouse type have been used for this purpose as well as steel coil springs.

An object of this invention is to provide magnetic means capable of being used in series with the vehicle steel springs to resiliently support; the load platform.

This, as well as other objects, I attain in the device described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisapplication.

In'the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of one of the magnetic devices embodying this invention. It will be understood that such device will be used adjacent each corner of the load platform of'the vehicle and arranged and connected so as to operate in series with the vehicle steel springs.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of' the switches forming a part of the device of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the switche and coils which 00- secured to the load platform of the vehicle by means of a bracket 5. The support member is bored out to form a cross head guide and within this a cross head 6 is arranged to. reciprocate. The outward movement of the cross head is limited by means of a top 7 which at the limit of th'e outward stroke contacts with a shoulder or flange 8 formed at the bottom of the cross head guide. Support member 4 is provided with an offset shoulder 9; Arising from said shoulder is a flange 10 which is interiorlythreaded at 11 to receive a tubular housing 12. This invention relates to vehicle springs Within housing 12 and resting on shoulder 9 is a cast iron spool "13. A spool 14 is located within tubular housing 12 and is spaced from spool 13 by means of an insulating cylinder 15. Spools 13 and 14 are provided with flanges 16, '17, 18 and 19 and between these flanges insulated copper wire is wound forming coils 20, 21 and 22.

The inner bores'of the spools which are arranged axially in line are lined with a tubular bras liner 23 in which is placed a cylindrical core 24 formed to receive iron or silicon steel (laminated if preferred) and which is reduced at its lower end 25 and is threaded into a cylindrical extension 26 of cross head 6. Cross head 6 is preferably made of non-magnetic material such as phosphorous bronze and support member 4 is preferably made of steel. A brass plate 27 lies between the upper surface of sh0ulder 9 and the lower face of flange 16 of spool 19 so as to form a magnetic brake. The spools 13 and 14 as well as insulating spacer cylinder 15 are held in place within tubular member 12 by means of a locking ring 28' which i threaded into the upper end of tubular member 12 and bears on the upper surface of flange 19. Resting on 'flange 19 within locking ring 28 is a cylinder 29 preferably formed of insulating material such as bakelite. An annular plate 30 of the same materialis supported by cylinder 29. A key cylinder 31 formed of 1nsulating material rests on looking ring 28 and is provided with an annular shoulder 32 which rests on annular plate 30 and hold the same in place. Another annular plate 33 of insulating material rests on the to of insulating cylinder 31 and a head 34 pre erably formed of steel is threaded into the upper end of tubular member 12 at 35. The inner surface of the head member at 36 snugl fits the outer surface of insulating cylin or 31 and the head is provided with The interior of the device provides an air chamber A between plate 30 and the upper an annular shoulder 37 which bears on the top of insulating plate 33. The head holds all of the insulating plates and cylinders described firmly in place.

An annular plate 38 of similar insulating material is arranged to receiprocate between plates 30 and 33 and is provided with and has embedded in its upper surface 4 concentric copper rings 39, 40, 41 and 42. These rings stand in line with corresponding rings embedded in the lower face of disk 33 and these rings are numbered 43, 44, 45 and 46, respectively. The outer cylindrical surface of floating disk 38 is provided with an annular copper ring 47 which is adapted to make contact with an annular ring 48 embedded in the inner surface of cylinder 31. Ring 48 is of such length that ring 47 will always make contact with it in whatever position disk 38 tands.

The upper surface of annular insulating disk 30 is provided with four concentric copper rings 50, 51, 52 and 53 and two concentric copper rings 54 and 55 embedded in the lower face of floating disk 38 are adapted when disk 38 is in its lowermost position to connect together rings 50 and 51 and rings 52 and 53.

The outer end of core 24 is centrally bored out to form a'cylindrical chamber 56 for the reception of a plunger 57 and a coil spring 58 lying within the bore and below plunger 57 tends to yieldingly hold said plunger at the limit of its outward stroke.

Insulating disk 30 at its center is provided with an opening 60 through which plunger 57 is adapted to pass when the core 24 is at the uppermost limit of its travel and floating disk 38 is provided with a centrally located metal contact plate 61 with which the plunger is adapted to contact when it raises disk 38 upon the upward movement of core 24 against the stress of a coil spring 62 which is located between the upper surface of floating disk 38 and head 34 of the device. A central boss 63 lies within coil spring 62 and holds the same in place.

Floating disk 38 at its center is provided with an air duct 64 which passes through the plate from top to bottom and a non-return valve 65 is provided on the head in order to allow air to pass into the interior of the device. The non-return valve prevents the escape of air from the interior.

face of core 24 and another air chamber B between the upper part of head 34 and the upper face of plate 33 and duct 64 passes these two air chambers in communication. ,-These a1r chambers serve as an air cushion core 24, r

A binding post 66 extends through head 34 and makes contact with the outer surface of copper ring 48. The binding post is provided with an insulating bushing 67 to insulate it from the head. Outer cylinder 12 is preferably provided with annular radiating flanges 70. 7

By referring to the diagram it will be seen that ring 41 is electrically connected to ring 47 by means of a wire 71. Ring 61 is connected to metallic disk 69 by means of a wire 72 and ring 40 is also connected to disk 69 by means of a wire 73. Ring 39 is connected by means of a wire 74 with contact ring 47. The wiring of diagram Fig. 3 is such that when switch plate 38 is in the position shown in the drawings coils 20, 21 and 22 will operate in series and when switch plate 38 is raised by core24 a plunger 57 so as to contact withthe contact rings of plate 33 the coils 20, 21 and 22 will operate in parallel. Binding post .66 is arranged to be connected to a source of current supply 81 such as a storage battery and the lower end 80 of coil 20 is ground on the frame of the vehicle. Plunger 57 which is also ground on the frame of the vehicle by contacting with disk' 61 grounds said disk. switch 82 is provided in the line between the battery Bland the device in order that the current maybe cut off whenever the vehicle is to stand for any appreciable time.

When the vehicle is standing with the current cut off contact plate 38 will be held in contact with plate 33 and when switch 82 is closed the coils 20, 21 and 22 will operate in parallel to liftthe load platform and as soon as the load platform has been lifted far enough to allow contact plate 38 to move away from contact plate 33 into contact with plate 30 and the coils then operating in series will yieldingly sustain the platform. The arrangement is such that the core 24 will tend to hold its mid position as shown in Fig; 1. The time during which the coils will operate in parallel may be varied by varying the length of plunger 24 as well as the length of coil spring 58. 7

Having thus described my invention what i I claim is- I y Y 1. The combination with a vehicle frame and the steel springs, of electromagnetic means between said frame and one end of each of said steel springs and constructed to operate in series therewith in resiliently supporting said frame. y

2. A spring support for vehicles, comprising a leaf spring and an'electromagnetic spring connected to one end of'said leaf spring and arranged to operate in series therewith to support a load.

3. The combination with a vehicle frame, of a leaf support spring for saidframe and "an electromagnetic spring between said leaf in connection with said coils to form a magnetic spring operating in series with said leaf spring.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of November, 1918. RICHARD LIEBAU. 

